giving you a voice

Run Chica combines UX expertise with story craft. Regardless of the latest gadget or new heuristic, what remains at the center is a human urge to connect. We deliver stories in all formats. We are excited by projects that expand public consciousness on environmental and social issues needing a voice.

I was responsible for creative and operations of all content including coursework, graphics, and tutorials in Flash, Director, film/video formats. I also managed a team of writers for the online portion of the coursework, which involved establishing comprehensive style guides as well as mentoring the interactive writers to think past static to write for motion.

CHALLENGE: T-Mobile needed a single source for agencies working on campaigns to download style guides, fonts, logos and other brand assets. There was also the challenge to maintain creative consistency across T-Mobile’s campaigns with various agency vendors working in isolation.

APPROACH: Taking the client directives, I organized a secure intranet site into three sections: Share (view and upload campaigns, creative briefs, etc.); Brand Overview (view guidelines); and Toolchest (download assets). Time and budget were a constraint, so I negotiated with the client and my manager to allow a user test phase by conducting the user tests onsite at the agencies who were participating–to save them time. To test the design, I worked with the dev team to build a protoype for a user test. I named the site Creative Share.

SOLUTION: The user testing helped me identify terms that were confusing, discern what features to add or delete, etc. Creative Share gave vendors DIY access to resources with a CMS to manage their work (upload campaigns in progress and delete outdated samples). T-Mobile was able to refresh brand assets for all vendors in a centralized location and stay out of the handoff process.

PRODUCER/WRITER, MSN Branded Entertainment Experience Team, Seattle. For Toyota, we leveraged Bing maps into the site features to create an animated road trip route that synced with locations on the fly in the video. Users could also create their own routes and add pushpins marking their favorite road spots. I wrote copy in the tone of the site and managed and maintained content working between the editorial and development teams including editorial calendars, alerts and user-generated content. Designer: Kris Bergen, Editorial lead: Jeff Chavez. http://appetiteforlife.msn.com, http://msnbeet.com/work/appetite_for_life

PRODUCER/WRITER, MSN Branded Entertainment Experience Team, Redmond. Reveille teamed up with MSN and MSNBC to create Fit to Boom, a web series featuring baby boomers who have embarked on major, health-driven life changes. Their stories, by design and evidenced in the abundant user comments, inspired viewers to consider their own life changes. A contest awarded one winner $20,000 to fund their life mission. Designer: Richard Worsfold, Editorial lead: Jeff Chavez, OMM Awards 2010, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToshK8wSy7k

WRITER/PRODUCER. MSN Branded Entertainment Experience Team. The Halo 3 Fan site was poised to build excitement for the Halo 3 launch, which proved to be the biggest entertainment event of 2007. It debuted videos by Peter Jackson and the Silverlight player. I wrote the site copy as well as articles that got me into some highly coveted press events at Bungie Studios. As a producer I managed all content, working with the design and development teams and coordinated the video and article refreshes.

INTL PRODUCER/WRITER, MSN Branded Entertainment Experience Team, Redmond/London. As the Editorial lead for the London MSN office, I worked across Seattle, NYC, and London teams, as well as multi-tiered stakeholders including the Oscars review team. I collaborated with UK dev and design to create a UI that guided women through the process to create a 30-second ad. The winning ad aired during a commercial break at the Oscars®.

FLIGHT TO GUATEMALA
The plane has begun to roll. The flight attendant who is announcing take-off protocol has a whiny voice. What key is that? I’m sitting next to Frank, who introduced himself. I want my cough to go away. We’re taking off. The window seat is treating me to sunlight – a prelude to Guatemala.

It’s Christmas. I found my gate in Chicago and a wine shop with a music-theatre bartender. I told him that people say Guatemala is dirty and dangerous, and he said, “Like I am.”

Nikon FM
Lens, Nikon, scratched up 20mm 1.8

Guatemala is less then three hours away. We’re leaving the US and there’s no turning back no matter what kind of bacteria-laden food lies ahead. I wish I would have brought more food, but was thinking about all the scrutiny you get driving into California. Flying they don’t care. Just don’t bring nail clippers. Someone would have to have some major attitude to hold up a plane with nail clippers. It should be a mandatory script for actors auditioning to be bad guys. (more…)

My little go-girl Avatar article on the Womanity – no longer live, created by MSN for Thierry Mugler – has been riding the rough and tumble wave of controversy surrounding James Cameron’s film sensation. My editorial of the movie gained over 500 likes/love votes due to the strong emotional bond its audience attaches to the movie. The opinions are polarized; people hate it or they defend it like a mother bear protecting her cubs. Since feedback that gets shared is statistically fated to be negative, the article has inspired a rather motley crew of comments – oddly enough, mostly from men. Created for the fashion giant, Thierry Mugler, Womanity, if the name doesn’t tip you off, is a site that strategically targeted women. Its beautiful and very imaginative design had an artistically crafted look and feel that you navigate via your mood. It’s so femme, it’s not even gay. Although I support androgyny – no high heels for this girl – Womanity’s feminist orientation is hormonally off topic for men, hence the tone of my article. Not that no boys are allowed, but it’s like a guy wandering into an aromatherapy-infused woman’s empowerment seminar. Therefore, I offer this space to read the article and continue the discussion if so moved. My comment: the article’s illustration by Andrea Ventura is stunning. I thank her. – Char Easter

Women Rule Pandora: The Heroin’s Journey

By Char Easter

Given Avatar’s techno-tree theme, I can see how my female friends were won over. Well, most of them. So what is amiss? The movie is about saving the planet and communication, after all, two feminine directives. And for a scientific spin, the Na’vi talk to the trees in a data download of electrochemical communication. The tree roots form an energy network like synapses between neurons. How cool is that? Visually, these good forest vibes turn the planet of Pandora into a woodsy rave in black light; all the better in 3D.

And there are the tough chicks, Mother Nature’s bodyguards – a pilot (Michelle Rodriquez as Trudy), a scientist (Sigourney Weaver as Grace), and a shaman warrior (Zoe Saldana as Neytiri) who work together to oppose the evil villains, a corporate pin head backed by an abominable military fanatic, who join forces on a strip-mining mission. As the story goes, the Sky People’s attempt to bulldoze the Na’vi culture for profit is foiled by a mystical Mother Nature played by a psychedelic jungle. The swashbuckling, climatic battle reminded me of a cross between Xbox’s Halo 3 and Snow White when the woodland animals rallied to fight off the evil witch.

But the heart-warming animal army is not the only fairytale theme in this movie. Like all good prince and princess stories, Sully, our magical hero boy, conquers the dragon (literally) and saves Pandora. Sully gets his avatar on and the prince and princess live happily ever after, or until the sequel when the bad guys return with advanced, viperwolf-proof AMP suites.

But what is wrong with this picture? Cameron has a legacy of strong women characters in his stories, and Avatar is no exception. But Sully’s triumphant upstaging at the end is questionable. He did transform enough to respect the Na’vi culture and be reborn as a Na’vi. And he served as a bridge between the two worlds so we, the audience, could superimpose ourselves over a human as the hero. But an oppressor turned savior is still an aggressive stance.

Imagine Neytiri in a Hollywood story meeting with James Cameron. After he reads her the Avatar script she crosses her elegant blue arms across her strategically constructed chest and narrows her big gold eyes at him and says, “Let me get this straight… James. A Human, a child who knows nothing of our ways, comes in to our tribe, and my mother decides I should be his teacher! He wins me over as a spy for his people who are planning to crush us. Then he becomes my husband and our mightiest warrior and leads the fight to save our people from his Humans? No way. Women rule Pandora.”

There is a Neytiri out there now writing a script that will transform the Hollywood formula into a heroine’s journey. And when she does, James Cameron, look out.

A letter I wrote to Best Buy with TEXT IN CAPS added by Alfonso Adinolfi

Best Buy
Bellevue, WA store June 17, 2006

NOTE: The commentary in caps, added by a friend, does not lesson the validity of my claim regarding a bad customer experience and the sincerity of my dissatisfaction.

Customer Service:

I am a documentary and digital media producer [WITH A REALLY CUTE BUTT]. Around Christmas 2005, I bought a DV recorder JVC GR-D270 from Best Buy in Bellevue, WA. I was looking for a camera with an analog-in feature, which the previous version of this model camera did have. The JVC website specifications indicated it had the feature [AND THE INCOMPETENT, ASS EATING, FUCK STICK PARADING AS] a Best Buy salesperson assured me it had the feature.

As it turned out, this [PIECE OF SHIT] camera did not have the [GODDAMN, MOTHERFUCKING] feature. Because I was two days late [FOR MY PERIOD] and over the 14-day policy when I returned the camera, I was told [TO TAKE A FUCKING HIKE] that my only option was to return the camera for a store credit minus a restocking fee. The cost to me to return the item was approx. $60.

I told the manager that was unacceptable given the circumstances [AND THAT I WOULD PRAY TO GORGO, DARK UNDER LORD OF THE BLUE DIMENSION, THAT HE DIES IMPALED UPON A MEAT HOOK]. He said that was store policy and there was nothing he could do [UNLESS I SLEPT WITH THE ENTIRE STAFF OF BEST BUY AND SELECT DOMESTIC FARM ANIMALS] and he gave me the Best Buy 800 number, which I called. The representative I talked to gave me his name and gave me an option [BUT DUE TO YEARS OF DRUG ABUSE I CAN’T REMEMBER EITHER OR I SURELY WOULD HAVE MENTIONED IT HERE].

I called him back later several times leaving [INCOHERENT GRUNTING NOISES], my number and a message [ABOUT APPROPRIATE PIZZA TOPPINGS] but my call was never returned. I also had emailed the manager of the Bellevue store asking to be contacted [VIA CARRIER PIGEON OR SIGNAL FLARE], which I never was.

Thanks to your policy, I still have a [CASE OF HIVES AND A] camera I do not want and the worst possible feeling about [INFINITY, PEOPLE WITH REALLY SMALL HANDS AND] shopping at Best Buy. I have not walked into the store since [AS MY MINIONS CARRY ME EVERYWHERE I GO].

Unless I am allowed to return this camera with a full refund, I will never shop there or recommend the store [UNLESS I NEED TO USE THE BATHROOM AND EVEN THEN, I WILL NOT FLUSH]!

I realize you have your policies, but if this is the result, I can’t say it’s working for you.

Infiltrating the force field that makes Bungie Studios so mysterious is a feat reserved for Master Chief and other superheroes. For the average Microsoft employee (like me) with a company badge that is rendered inadequate at all Bungie Studios entry points, it takes a very rare and special invitation. So when the opportunity came up to be part of the Halo 3 single-player studio visit for reporters from around the world, my fate was sealed. Not even a rare sunny Seattle afternoon could deter me from walking the hallowed halls of the famous Bungie headquarters and getting some coveted, hands-on gameplay before Halo 3’s release on September 25.

At 9 a.m. I arrived at the Bungie Studios door in Kirkland, Washington, where I was swiftly ushered in by a burly, bouncer-sized guard. I stuffed myself into the small, modest lobby packed to capacity with young, hipster male reporters still groggy from jet lag. Most had endured international flights — Australia, Japan, Spain and Germany, to name just a few — that proved longer than their stay.

Other than the Roman-sized breakfast that was offered to all of us interlopers, the Bungie office was very low-key. I quickly realized that the flash and frills found in the Halo games do not exist in the world we inhabit. The very plain brick-and-mortar room I was standing in only serves as the wireframe for a spectacular virtual world — and as a first-time player of Halo, it was a world I was about to experience.

With croissant and coffee in hands, the group was led into a dark, cool room lit only by an arsenal of station monitors that lined the room from end to end. When I entered, the reporters were already at their consoles, eager to start the game. I was sent to an empty station at the far end of the room. After someone helped me navigate to the start screen, I put on my headphones and took a last scan around the room. Everyone was already lost to the game … and I joined them.

In a jolt, I found myself in a lush, foreign terrain, driven onward by a tribal, adrenaline-inducing sound track and my own survival instincts.

Hours later …

After ample time in the game, the Bungie staff delivered the first round of presentations with some Halo 3 tips and tricks. Sandbox Design Lead Jaime Griesemer said that players can expect to see a significant increase in the number of encounters in Halo 3. Overall, the scale of the game has increased in both quality and quantity, which in the Halo world means more missions, combats, enemies, allies and unique equipment and weaponry.

Art director Chris Barrett addressed the Halo 3 graphics by taking us under the skin and into the code. On a big screen, he peeled away the graphical layers down to the wire frames in order to demonstrate techniques like photon mapping that make the environment so believable.

Audio director Marty O’Donnell and Audio lead Jay Weinland demonstrated the level of detail involved in emulating a seemingly natural environment, including a vehicle driving out of range or shells hitting the ground.

Hearing all of these details gave me a new appreciation of the game. For example, Bungie writers and artists establish each character’s personality, which is then carried through to the tone and color palette of the character’s appearance. Master Chief has a toned-down effect on his armor because he is not a flashy guy.

Based on the media representation from Mexico, Spain, Canada, France, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, the US and Australia, Halo is clearly an international sensation. I asked some of the reporters about the popularity of the game in their countries. All maintained that Halo was popular, especially with hardcore gamers.

On September 25, you too will go behind Bungie Studios’ closed doors by opening the Halo 3 box and jumping into the game.

Stay tuned for an article with my impressions as a fledgling gamer who can’t find the shoot button.

Ask a couple how they first met, and they usually have a good story. The same could be said about my introduction to the Halo universe. My first game-play moment was a Halo fan’s dream come true. I was surrounded by the Halo creators at the Bungie headquarters in Kirkland, Washington. It was Halo ground zero. Along with the Bungie staff, I was playing among world-class gamers who were there as reporters for an exclusive sneak peak at Halo 3. I was directed to an empty console and decided to play it cool and not let on that I was a first-time gamer.

I glanced around the room and noticed the reporters lost in the game. Except for their darting eyes and deftly moving fingers, they had left the physical world for the one the Bungie developers had so meticulously crafted. Occasionally, one of the gamer’s monitors would signal that he’d achieved a new level. I could barely log in. The contrast between the other gamers’ skill level and mine was laughable. Regardless, I put on my headphones to begin the fight. Master Chief Junior was on the move.

The first thing I noticed was the music. It was rich and tribal and had a tempo that inspired hunting and killing. I imagined a military vehicle in Iraq with a sound system. Then I noticed the barrel of a gun. “That would be mine,” I thought. This basic and seemingly obvious realization was my genesis of self-awareness. I am not me with a gun; I am Master Chief, hope for humanity. I wondered about the gender — is there a female Master Chief in the works? How could gender matter? It’s not like there is a lot of social interaction involved. My agenda is fairly focused: Get guns. Find enemy. Shoot enemy. Besides, I’m role-playing. I’ll be a boy.

Looking around, I checked my “20” — a military term for location. I was in a large dark stone cavern with soldiers running about and shouting orders. I think one of them said something to me, but the interaction was stilted. The fact that he was a computer-programmed comrade made him all the more efficient, so my slow response forced him to move on. What if I had been wounded?

I sized up the soldiers’ appearance. After all the hype, just how lifelike were they? Without having played other games, I had no frame of reference. My next question was who were they — friend or foe? I had assumed they were Marines and I was one of them. Good, Char. What now? “Try moving,” I thought.

I ventured out, hearing only the sound of my footsteps until I encountered something with which I would become all too familiar: my worst enemy, my motor skills. Suddenly everything was dark and my progress was stymied. I was stuck in a corner. My fingers fumbled with the controls, trying to make the connection between the buttons on the console and Master Chief’s choreography. It is something we take for granted, this brain-body connection, but now, I had to learn how to walk again. I wheeled around like a caged wild boar, or more like a bumbling giant in cement shoes. My point of view was disoriented, and then I saw part of my leg. I couldn’t shoot, which was another problem. Where was the shoot button? I let it go, reasoning that people like me should not have guns. Not only did my lack of motor skills put me at a disadvantage with the enemy, but I was a menace to myself.

Eventually I found my way out of the corner, clumsily exiting the garage and entering the light of a Halo day. I took in the landscape. After my extended moment in the corner of the cavern, the view was breathtaking. There was still the problem of not being able to shoot, but just walking was a challenge, so I decided to explore. No shooting. I’d just meander around and check out the scenery — maybe get oriented, practice walking, learn the basics. Boot camp if you will. I realized I had managed to turn Halo 3, the testosterone-driven war game, into a recreational outing. I fantasized a flower sticking out of the barrel of my gun. It’s Master Chief the pacifist, in search of the Halo 3 hippie commune.

During my nature walk, I encountered evil aliens who yelled insults at me. I tried all combinations of the buttons, but I couldn’t shoot. By now, asking someone for help would be total humiliation. Chris from Bungie didn’t even laugh when I asked. The Bungie staff pulled everyone out of the game for a break and a demonstration. Then it was on to multiplayer. Mercifully, one of the staffers assigned me to a group, so I did not have to suffer the humiliation of being left out. Mercilessly, everyone on my team was an ace gamer, skilled in the art of multiplayer. The term “out of your league” comes to mind — I really don’t know how I died so fast. For some reason, masochistic no doubt, multiplayer was fun for a while, but eventually I grew bored with death

Round 2

The next time I played Halo was with my friend Daz. To warm me up on Xbox, he downloaded some old-school games like Capture the Crystal. Its rave music and twinkly, glowing things that filled the screen reminded me of Burning Man at night. It was fun but it was not Halo. We moved on to our destination.

First we played together. He claimed to be a novice but, as he’d soon come to realize, it’s hard to beat me at being the worst player in the world. He killed me every time, so we swtched to me playing solo. I found myself in a jungle this time. To move forward I had to jump, but how? I must have been testing the low end of the performance spectrum, because a prompt came on the screen indicating how to jump. The Halo interface is thoughtfully designed to include on-screen user assistance for people who don’t have a clue, like me.

Daz watched while I played. I came upon a battle and opened fire on the aliens.

“You need to align the curser with the target,” instructed Daz.

“What curser?” I asked.

“You mean that red bull’s-eye thing?”

“Look toward where the bullets are coming from,” Daz warned. He slumped back in his chair, adding sarcastically, “This is going to be fun to watch.”

Daz took a new tack and inquired, “You’ve never been shot at in real life? Rubber bands, a wad of paper … snowballs?” I pondered this question and realized that no, I hadn’t.

In the final analysis, every first-time gamer has a unique experience based on what he or she brings to the game. If you’ve played other games, your coordination will be intact. If you’ve played war games — even with spit wads — you’re going to have an innate sense of how to act. The attention to detail and advanced features that go into Halo 3 offer experienced gamers a challenge and a great ride, and if you are a first-time gamer, start with single-player — the button used to fire the gun is on the upper right.

The “F” in fashion for this story stands for festival. Every summer offers up a series of subcultural pow wows, where adventurous folk leave their day jobs, or crafters and seekers make it their day job, to gather without modern plumbing. They view art, hear music and above all, dress up. From the Oregon Country Fair to Burning Man to Beloved, each festival has its own brand of lunatic fringe fashion. One of the longest running is the Rainbow Gathering. So my sister and I borrowed her boyfriend’s 1971 pop top VW bus and headed deep into the Pinchot National Forest of Washington state to find the latest collection of free-spirited, back-to-nature wear. The question before us: what defines subcultural fashion in 2011 and has it changed from the first gathering in 1972? Our motto: cute matters; even in the woods.

For the surrounding towns of loggers and mill workers, it was an international invasion as 30,000 crunchy Rainbow Gathering goers stopped for supplies on their annual pilgrimage home to “the family.” One local from Cougar, a nearby town, described the scene as, “Pungent and dreads.” Perfect.

While hitching a ride from our parking spot along the 7 mile, car lined, narrow road to the main camp, we met Peter, a serial summer festivaler who was heading to the Oregon Country Fair after Rainbow. He likes the Rainbow Gathering because of its self-organization and anarchy (it’s all volunteer and free) and described the fashion as, “where punk and hippie intersect,” with a lot of Steampunk thrown in. Steampunk — a Road Warrior/Victorian mix — is a street savvy, survival look, straight out of a Charles Dickens book. It depicts a gritty, sci-fi/fantasy traveler who can survive the mud and dust and the amped-up fashion of a festival.

But the black leather of steampunk is balanced with a wild mash up of looks dominated by faery, hippy, and urban wood nymph. If in doubt with what to wear, make it colorful. The bright and bolder the better, with pink and stripes and crazy hats. Think Alice In Wonderland meets Lord of the Rings. This is no time to be subtle or elegant. Subculture festival fashion is getting in touch with your wild child.

Because the woods can be cold and there was snow in the camps, we saw lots of layers and wool with boldly striped mittens, arm coverings and zany leggings to brighten up the gray. But as the sun came out, the wool layers came off — just as my father predicted — and the body paint was manifest. The photos below are like a Rainbow Family photo album. Mini video to come. Keep the love.

Photo captions in slideshow:

Charlie and Daisy (mud girls) – When the sun shines, the wood nymphs appear. This was either Charlie or Daisy, who’s bright spirits and wild abandon put the festive in festival.

Juanita – shown in stripped mittens with hula hoop. We found her hula hooping on this large log chanting, “Safety Last”

Nikolas – the face and body paint and rainbow parasol were the crowning glory on this very put together, mythical, woods god

There was a sextile planetary event this Monday evening and Tuesday called Merkaba. My friends who are tuned in to these type of astral power opportunities, performed a ritual at Golden Gardens to direct the energy for the greater (and personal) good and to invoke a spiritual awakening. I had an awakening Tue., but it was financial. I really need a job — now. Hello, IRA.

Given my situation, it would have been timely to be in the circle, listening to the waves and drum circles, calling upon the higher powers of the Grand Trine (see detail below) to end the evil trine that is gridlocking my life right now. Here is my non-facilitated version of an intention:

“Dear universe, I beseech you. Through the power of the Grand Trine, bring healing energy to my friend with cancer. Keep my parents, family and friends safe and I thank them for their support….”

Since it’s starting to sound like I’m accepting an Oscar, I’d move on to the factors in my evil trine.

“For my personal life, I TRUST that you will help me: find the perfect job — or any job; sell my house; and end the septic/sewer saga once and for all.”

Potential buyers can see the hole from the dug up septic through a window in the main part of my house. It’s the exact size of a grave plot––and given the stress it’s caused, it very well could be mine.

The decision to miss the Merkaba Golden Garden Goddess Ceremony wasn’t easy to make. I likened the event to AAA for emergency energetic breakdowns — and I’m having one. If moving the universe in alignment to assist my personal goals wasn’t enough, the subcultural fashion would have been as good as the vibes. But I had a tennis lesson, and I’d missed 2 (of 8) last week, so I opted for the country club set versus the moon mamma, astral projecting, crystal powered, sound healing, energy working, chakratastic, shamans-in-training, ohm culture crowd.

I’m not sure if Merkaba had, or will have, an effect on my world, except that I did experience a low point in my life on Tuesday, though I played a pretty good tennis game. Thinking Tuesday was the day, I didn’t do my intentions during the specified envelope of time (M 1-8pm). Therefore, I was hoping to do a belated, make-up ceremony, that is if the universe isn’t on a strict timeline, rendering all good intentions, henceforth, reduced in their effectiveness. If there is an inverse effect at play, perhaps I will be unbound by the evil trine when it passes. Some of you may think this is all BS and, planetary smanitary, the hippies are smoking too much hippie lettuce and our crystal amulets are affecting our ability to clarify reality from magic kingdoms. Is designating a time to power network with the planets like getting the note passed around in grade-school class that the end of the world will happen at 3:30 today? I say, the more reasons we have to focus our thoughts in an upward spiral, chant, listen to drums and hold hands on the beach with flower power fashionistas next to a sun set in the warm summer air, the better.

Whatever your thoughts, here’s the email with Merkaba explained.

Hello beautiful people!As you may have heard, next week something powerful is happening in the skies: six planets are aligning to form a RARE Star of David / Merkaba / Six-pointed Star configuration in the heavens! We would like you and your friends and loved ones to join as at Golden Gardens on Tuesday July 30 to hone in together on the energy of this mystical phenomena, and use the energy to put forth shared visions and intentions. Emily Lauderback will give us details about what has been going on and answer any questions. Susan and Ines will lead a short meditation and sacred sounds to honor the frequencies initiated on Monday.

What is a Merkaba?
It is known as the divine light vehicle allegedly used by ascended masters to connect with and reach those in tune with the higher realms. “Mer” means Light. “Ka” means Spirit. “Ba” means Body. Mer-Ka-Ba means the spirit/body surrounded by counter-rotating fields of light, (wheels within wheels), spirals of energy as in DNA, which transports spirit/body from one dimension to another.

What’s Happening Exactly?
The Moon in Taurus will form a Grand Earth Trine with Venus in Virgo and Pluto in Capricorn. Then, there’s a Grand Water Trine consisting of Saturn in Scorpio, Neptune in Pisces and Jupiter/Mars in Cancer. So we’ll have two, interlocking Grand Trines. And…those planets will sextile each other. The Moon will sextile Jupiter/Mars, which will sextile Venus, which will sextile Saturn, which will sextile Pluto, which will sextile Neptune, which will sextile the Moon. This is similar to the Harmonic Concordance in 2003 that was a catalyst for a major wave of conscious awakening–all harmonious aspects, all hooked up together in an unbroken circuit. The most intense period is on Monday (roughly) 1:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT to absolutely use that time–set your own intentions and connect to source, be in your zone.

On Tuesday come to Golden Gardens between 7 and 7:30—we plan to be down by the north end of the beach. Let’s use the energy of the event together to enhance our intentions for our selves and the greater good. Bring snacks, things to drink if you like. Looking forward to seeing you!